Because of That Kiss
by thegirlwiththedreams
Summary: Lily Evans is not the type of girl to date boys like James Potter. Then again, girls like Lily aren't supposed to actually enjoy kisses with boys like James Potter. Still, Lily is firmly insistent on turning down his offer to be her boyfriend. Well, that is until the boy in question stops by to help her make up her mind-whether she wants him to or not. FLUFF GALORE! :) MINUIKO PIC!
1. Chapter 1

Lily sat anxiously on her four-poster bed. Her room was a near copy of her one at Hogwarts, all deep maroon and splendid gold, banners hanging on the posts, flags draped over her armoire, scarfs and rosettes littering her cluttered desk, stashed with letters from her best friends, Alice Jones and Melanie Wood. Her friends were polar opposites, Alice all bows and sweet smiles. It all would've been very annoying if Alice wasn't actually _that_ nice. She never spoke a mean word of anyone, and she and her boyfriend, Frank Longbottom, were the school's official poster couple.

Melanie was anything but. Loud, brash, and utterly gorgeous, with mermaid-wavy hair and sharp gray eyes, she turned heads everywhere she went. She was also a notorious dater, and had a new boyfriend practically every week. You couldn't say she was immodest though, she kept her relationships strictly in check, as they wouldn't make her stray from her vigorous schedule as she trained to be a Healer at St. Mungo's. She was also the Keeper for the Gryffindor Quidditch team, and she said that she would determinedly train her newly-born nephew Oliver for the game she loved so dearly. Her nickname, affectingly dubbed so by the student body, was Marauderette. She had succeeded with having a fling with every boy in the Marauders, something no one else had accomplished. The one with Peter was one that happened after a bit too much Butterbeer on her part, Lupin when she had a brief thing for smart boys, and Sirius because, well, they fit together almost perfectly. They were both brash, opinionated, and had dated their fair share of people. No matter how much she tried to tell Melanie, she simply said she didn't want to do-over date (she had a strict policy against it), and besides, even if she did have feelings for him (This part made Melanie blush and Lily snicker), there would be no time for snogging what with her extensive workload. (Then _that _part had made Lily blush and Melanie roar with laughter.)

But the fling with Sirius wasn't what preoccupied Lily most about her friend. It was the one with well…you know who. (And not the evil dictator who was threatening to take over Lily's world.)

When Melanie had started dating James Potter in the last few months of their sixth year, Lily had been well…jealous. Even though it had always been her who had rebuked James's advances, everytime she saw them snogging, she had felt her emotions flash inside her. Their relationship had ended quicker than it had begun, but her emotions didn't go away. She felt jealous everytime she saw James even talking to another girl, even if it was Alice, who was happily in a long-time relationship, her heart would squeeze up tight. And then there was just James himself. Every time she looked at him, she would notice how his hair was messy in a way that was all too fascinating, the way his broad shoulders grew even broader when he dived for the Quaffle in Quidditch, and the way his eyes, those beautiful brown ones, looked like the pools of piping tea she always drank when she wanted to relax and calm down. James's eyes did anything but; instead her heart sped up everytime she saw him.

In the last weeks of the term, she noticed the castle become more excited than usual, and some sort of anticipation hung in the air. It wasn't the normal pre-exam buzz, instead it felt like people were looking forward to something, as opposed to dreading. Her best friends in particular seemed jumpy and secretive, and she frequently found them both looking guilty, Alice's round face pink in the cheeks, and Melanie tugging her shirt collar anxiously.

Even odder was that she now found Melanie and Sirius together, whispering wildly fast, their eyes darting to and fro as if on the lookout for someone. One night, to alleviate a bit of her worry, she teased Melanie about the fact that she and Sirius looked almost like a couple again. Melanie gave her a calm, startling glare, and said quite frankly. "Well Lily, love, I've told you I've given up boys. I can't be in a couple right now! However, I reckon any day now we'll be seeing a new one. I'm sure you'll be delighted when it happens. Quite sure. In fact-"

She looked like she wanted to say more, a lot more, but Alice dove across the room as quick as the Giant Squid, and gave Melanie a look. "Not one word more, Melanie Wood! If you don't keep your tongue in check, she'll find out everything! And what a shame, after all our hard work." Melanie gave a toss of her silky hair, and then gave Lily a bright smile. Instead of relieving her, Lily felt worry edge its way down her spine. If Melanie ever resigned herself from something, especially an argument, it wasn't because she had given up. It was because she had something much, much more frightening planned. If there was anything Lily Evans had learned at Hogwarts, it was that when Melanie gave her "giving up" smile, stuff was about to get real crazy really fast.

However, the rest of the year flew by faster than the Golden Snitch. On her last full day at Hogwarts, sunny and picturesque, she resolved herself to the fact that nothing was up, and that she had just been imagining things.

Oh, how very wrong she was. She should've known better than to doubt the collaborating minds of Melanie Wood and Sirius Black.


	2. Chapter 2

_Thanks for the reviews guys! I hope all of you enjoy more Jily fluff, this chapter is actually one of the longest ones I've ever had! it's probably cause I love this ship so much! :)_

The day had been warm and sunny, one of those rare days at Hogwarts not tarnished by blustery gusts of wind, pouring of rain, or a heavy sheets of snow.

Lily sighed as she breathed in the heavily perfumed air, smelling like wildflowers and honeysuckle. She had her hair down her back in a neat plait, and the red shone as bright as the Hogwarts Express. Her knee socks had fallen to her ankles bunchily, but as it was the last day of term, she paid it no mind. Most proffesors found it too much of an effort to hand out uniform infractions on the last day.

She spotted her two best friends sitting by the lake. The giant squid was thrashing about, his tentacles looking a lovely plum color in the fading afternoon light. She sighed. On days like these, she never wanted to leave Hogwarts. Especially this summer, as Tuney's awfully boring and dull boyfriend, Vernon Dursley, would be coming to stay with the family. The only thing bigger than his pompous ego was his gigantic mustache. She giggled. Often, when he was over, she would become so transfixed with the immensity of it that she frequently had to be shaken out of distraction by her mother while her sister gave her a furious look.

By now, she had slowed to a stop as she thought and contemplated. Melanie gave an impatient sigh, and she grabbed Lily by the arms ferociously. She really did have a strong grip. No wonder she was such an excellent Keeper. However, Lily preffered not to be handled like a stray Quaffle.

"Oy! Geroff!"she said with as much ferocity as she could. Her friend merely ignored her and gave a tinkling laugh.

"Oh, Lils!" she said, as she tossed her shiny, well-shampooed hair. "You're about as frightening as a kitten. No wonder every boy in our year fancies you; you're as precious as a Pygmy Puff!"

Lily shook free of her friend's grip. "Sometimes, I don't even know why we're friends."

Melanie gave a wry smile. "It may have to do with the fact that I know all your secrets. Including that very, ah, _interesting_ one you confessed to me at my house about a certain messy-haired Gryffindor Quidditch player-"

Lily's face turned the color of her hair as she blushed. "Shut up! That was at three in the morning after a healthy amount of Butterbeer. That most certainly makes it off-the-record-"

Melanie gave her friend a look. "My dear Lily, once you have a mother who works as an investigative reporter for the Daily Prophet, you will truly know what 'off-the-record' means. Ugh, do you remember that time she released that story when she talked about how it is to be a wizarding parent, and she talked about how stinky my nappies were compared to my Muggle cousin. Ugh, the whole third-year class wouldn't shut up about it for weeks. I couldn't even face Lisa Vane. Do you remember all those awful nicknames she came up with? Hippogriff Dung and the like…"

Lily gave her friend a pat on the back. "Okay Mel, I'll be sure to remember your bathroom issues the next time you bring up my "crush" on James Potter."

Melanie pointed a triumphant finger at Lily. "Ha! I knew you liked him!"

Lily groaned and shook her head several times to illustrate her point. " . . . Do you need me to spell out in Ancient Runes for you?"

Melanie gave her a jovial pat on the back. "Silly Lily, you know I don't take that class! I'm perfectly satisfied with your first answer, thank you very much. Ooh, I wonder if I could get Celestina Warbeck to sing at your wedding…your children will be quite cute too, provided they don't get James's awful nose."

"Shut up!" Lily growled. "Ugh, I can't handle you! I'm going to go find Alice. Where is she, anyway?"

"Probably off snogging Longbottom! Oh, and Lils, no purple for the bridesmaids' dresses. I look absolutely awful in that color…"

A few hours later, the three friends sat under the sycamore tree that they always shared shelter under. They had claimed it in their first year, and it was absolutely wonderful, blocking out the sun during summer, while covering them in a high canopy of protective branches during the frequent drizzles that overcame Hogwarts

They were all occupied in their usual escapades; Alice was looking over her Charms notebook while she doodled the words _Mrs. Frank Longbottom_. Melanie had shifted the branches a little so that the whole school could see her practicing Quidditch with a little enchanted ball of scratch paper. She pretended she didn't notice the crowd of onlookers, but every so often she would give the boys she deemed cute a small little wink.

Lily meanwhile, absentmindedly flipped through the pages of her Potions textbook. Even her favorite subject in the world could not distract her from her straying thoughts. Maybe it was partly due to the fact that she was liking the subject less and less because every time she looked at a potion, it reminded of how her and Sev had been Potions partners, and had together conquered and fell in love with the complex world of potion-making.

It had been hard letting go of Sev at first. After all, they had been close friends for five years, not counting the years outside of Hogwarts. Last summer, the first one where Sev hadn't visited or come over, she made up her mind to ask Slughorn to change her Potions partner. She couldn't handle a year with Sev, not speaking to each other as they mindlessly cut up ingredients and stirred their concoctions without saying a word. She knew that asking for the switch in partners would be easy, as Slughorn liked her so much. That actually made it harder, knowing that once she made the decision, it would be immediate and final.

However, in the end she decided to do so. When she came back to school, however, her new partner seemed almost as undesirable: James Potter.

It had not been bad having James as a partner though. Sure, he was no expert potion-brewer, in fact, he was quite abysmal, but instead of annoying her as it once had, his ineptness now made her laugh. Although sometimes a bit cocky and rule-breaking for her liking, she had grown to tolerate James. She didn't know if maybe it was the absence of Severus, but the things that had once bothered her now were sort of endearing.

James had also changed too. He was still a troublemaker, but he was more steady with his studies, with the help of Remus, and eventually, Lily herself. She had agreed to tutor him in Potions, and although at first he had been a ferociously unabashed flirt, he had actually improved, and she had learned quite a many things about him.

Like how his father had once been the Head Boy and Qudditch Captain, and how James desperately wanted to do him proud. Or the fact he was a strong advocate for the rights of lycanthropes. When he had said so, she had noticed that he had looked fleetingly in the direction of Remus. He had quickly changed the topic so she would be distracted, but Lily had already had the premonition about Remus's state. However, she thought it was quite noble of James to defend his friend and protect his secret. Honestly, Lily hadn't really thought James Potter was capable of any emotions except for pride, unabashed flirtiness, and being foolhardy before that day. It seemed like she had judged James too quickly.

The trouble was now that she knew he had redeeming qualities, she wasn't quite sure what to make of James. She would never admit it to anyone, but she had fancied James for as long as she could remember. His devastating caramel eyes and messy black hair were ingredients for the perfect heartbreaker. However, she had always kept her feelings down by thinking about his personality. No way would sensible Lily Evans ever get caught up with a troublemaker like James Potter, no matter how irresistible he was. But now that she had discovered actual human emotions in him besides brazen stupidity, her heart was frequently in turmil.

There were times (after she had learned Leglimency soundly, in case her friends had suddenly become expert mind-readers) that she lay in her four-poster bed on quiet nights when everyone lay sound asleep, that she would let her mind wander to the thought of James and her laughing as he stepped off the Quidditch pitch after a particularly victorious match. There would be crowds of screaming, lovestruck girls, but he'd have eyes only for her. And then he would lead her off to a hidden corridor of the castle, and he would look into her eyes and kiss her….

By the time she had let her mind wind that far off track, she would already be scolding it for thinking such things, and about James Potter, no less. After all, she would tell herself, considering all the times she had rebuked him, why would he ever want to go out with her? There were plenty of prettier girls who would be happy to be James Potter's girlfriend, in fact, they would walk through a mile of hippogriff dung in their dress robes just to get the chance for James to even talk to them, let alone want to date them. Lily had to face the facts, she had her chance, and she'd thrown it away.

Still it was nice to dream. Oh, if only James Potter would ask her again! She still didn't know if she would say yes or not, but just hearing those words again would be like water on a Horntail burn.

She was broken from her thoughts by loud whispering. She had almost forgotten where she was. She turned to her friends to join their conversation, but as soon as she looked at them, their mouths were already zipped shut, their faces guilty.

Lily felt a twinge of annoyance. For weeks, her best mates had been acting suspicious around her, always whispering wildly, but then when she drew near, they would clam up. She had recently taken to racking her brains to review all her interactions with them, wondering if she had done something wrong. At first she had paid it little mind, but now she was beginning to fear they were going to chuck her. Her heart seized with worry at the thought. Now that she and Sev were no longer friends, who would she hang out with if they stopped talking to her?

The two girls gave each other sidelong glances. Then, cheerily, but with a suspicious waver in her voice, Melanie said, "C'mon, Lils. Let's go take a walk."

The fading sun cast a kaliedescope of colors on the lake like the stained glass windows she had at her church. It reminded her of when she was a young girl, and had spent all of Mass staring, transfixed, at the beautiful depictions of all the important Church figures. She felt a warm feeling rise up in her, and she momentarily forgot all her worries about school, and Sev, and James.

As she admired the beautiful scenery of the Hogwarts grounds, she noticed figures, four of them, standing quite close. With a jolt of her heart, Lily realized that it was the Marauders. Remus was eating a bar of chocolate, looking bored. Peter looked transfixed by something, and as she shifted her gaze, she could see it was an argument, between James and Sirius that caught his attention. Lily felt surprised. James and Sirius almost never fought, they were as thick as thieves (which was quite accurate, as they frequently stole from people together).

Sirius stood with his arms crossed, a sour expression on his face, most unlike the jovial one he usually had. James was gesturing wildly with his arms as his hand drifted to his hair subconciosly to his hair every few seconds, messing it up even more than usual.

She noticed, suddeny, that James had left the argument, and was striding quickly over to right where Lily stood. She felt her heart speed up anxiously with nervousness, and looked to her friends for support and backup. However, her two friends had vanished, nowhere to be found. And yet, with every second, james came closer and closer, speeding up as he neared her.

Then, suddenly, they were face to face. She noted every crazy lock of hair sticking up haphazardly, the exact color of his flushed cheeks, and the dimples that were there even when he wasn't smiling. Most of all, she noticed his eyes, and all the beautiful shades of brown that combined into one transfixingly distracting color, that lovely caramel.

"Lily," James began, his voice faster than usual, but with the same carefree, familiar tone that seemed to always hold the hint of a wry smile. "Sirius says I'm being a git about my feelings with you. He says that a guy and girl with as much common sense as us really are total idiots when it comes to feelings. Sirius also says, and I quote 'that the whole school of Hogwarts would dearly like us to stop being such idiots with our emotions, and just snog each other senseless already'. The thing is Lily, even though I've asked you a million times before to go out with me, this time is different. This time, we're actually friends, and I really don't want to ruin any shred of respect you have for me. Because seeing you actually look at me like I'm not a nincompoop, but someone with an actual brain, and actual common sense, is great. Amazing, in fact. And I really don't want to risk that. But like my mum says, I can't just sit here and think wistfully about what could've been if I actually tried, one last time, to ask you out. And this really is the last time. If you turn me down again, I promise for all of seventh year, and after that, I will never bother you again, Lily. But I just want to make sure that this really is no. Because sometimes, when you think I'm not looking, I…see something, and I know it's probably in my head, but a part of me just can't let you go. So here's my last hope, my last stand…that you, Lily Evans, will be my girlfriend."

James had started to walk away, while meanwhile Lily was whirling with emotions and thoughts. "And…also, before I go and leave you to think about everything I said to you, Padfoot gave me a suggestion on something that might help you make your decisioin. So, here goes nothing…"

Then, before she could react, James Potter leaned in and kissed her. Lily had dated a few boys before, kissed them too, but nothing had ever been like this. Her heart felt like it was on fire, and she couldn't think of anything except for the fact that James was kissing her. It was better than all her dreams, and his lips tasted like spearmint, and suddenly the world around her seemed starker, sharper, more real.

In the back of her mind she could hear the whoops and hollers of her classmates, but she ignored them, because they didn't matter, because she, Lily Evans, was kissing James Potter.

Then, he was gone, and before Lily could reply, he was gone, like he had Apparated on the spot. She felt weak, and the world spun around her like the merry-go-rounds she had gone to at Muggle amusement parks when she was a kid. If she fainted, Melanie and Sirius would never let her hear the end of it.

She could hear voices that sounded like Alice and Melanie, and their strong arms held her steady. But all she could hear in her mind was the scene, over and over again, when James Potter had leaned in and kissed her.

_Hoped you liked it! Please favorite, review, and follow! Check back next time, my awesome readers! :)_


	3. Chapter 3

_Hi! Here's the next chapter of the chronicle of two very stubborn (and in love) individuals. I hope you like it, please read and review/follow/favorite! _

Lily sighed as she thought about it. Maybe she did like James Potter-more than was healthy actually-but she couldn't date him. She would look like some petty girl who had been refusing James's advances just to get herself noticed till she finally caved. That was not it at all. Until this year, her opinion of James had been on a level lower than a flobberworm. But it had changed this year-slowly and steadily, like the way a flower sprouts into bloom. And that's how it truly was. Lily's love for James had changed from a measly bud to a full flower. And the fragrance, the call of it was too sweet to resist.

She bit her lip and shook her messy red hair. Lily wandered absentmindely to her dresser. On the faded oak lay piles of junk-scraps of parchment, broken quills, a lovely smelling perfume Melanie had gotten her last year for her birthday. She smiled as she looked at it. She remembered how one day she had worn it, and Sirius had pretended to gag while James complimented her on it. That had been a good day for her, she thought. They had a Charms test right after that, and she remembered she had gotten full marks. She didn't want to admit it, but her high spirits after her talk with James had really helped. She probably would've done bad on the exam was it not for him. Funny how James always complained about being rubbish on exams-he sure had helped her.

Lily studied the letters on her dresser. All from the girls, Alice's beautiful looping handwriting and Melanie's chicken-scratch scrawl. They talked politely about trivial things, like how Frank had met Alice's parents and they absolutely loved them-no surprise there, as Frank was a darling, while Melanie told her that her little nephew, who she now remembered was named Oliver, had the Wood genetics in him-he was born Qudditch player, and a Keeper at that, much to Melanie's delight, and to her brother's despair (Jamie Wood had played Chaser at Hogwarts.) However, underneath all of it, she could see their faints hints about news of James and her. Alice had remarked that the four of them should have a double date, that was if the two of them were dating. Melanie was a bit more direct, and simply asked Lily if she had snogged anyone lately. Lily had decided quite quickly not to write them back. One, because they were being as nosy as Rita Skeeter, a girl in Lily's year who was quite the gossip, and two, because she honestly didn't know what to tell them-at least, not Alice. She was quite sure she had not snogged anyone recently, but she had no idea if she and James were together or not-it was all very confusing, even more so than the OWLs she had taken over a year ago. She'd much rather have to do Arithmany then sort out her feelings with James Potter. One had a sure answer, and the other, well she didn't even know if there _was_ an answer. It was all too jumbled, and her mind spun with the very thought of it.

Oh well. It didn't matter right now, anyway. She had to prepare for the dinner that her family was having tonight with her sister's fiancée-Vernon Dursley. The man was more pompous than anyone she had ever met, even more so than Terrence Smith, a pretentious Hufflepuff in her grade. Not only that, but he was downright ugly. She had no idea how her sister, blonde and thin, and pretty, in Lily's opinion, had ended up with a man who looked like a walrus. If Vernon Dursley was a kind man, Lily would've easily forgotten his outward faults, but he was loud and obnoxious, and constantly bragging about his internship at a drill company. She had absolutely no idea how Tuney could've fallen for him, and she probably would never know, because the sisters barely spoke, or even saw each other. Lily had tried, but everytime she did so, her sister always had to make some snide remark about Lily being magical. She had no hope that she and Petunia would ever be as close as they had been-and that made her heart pang. There were so many times Lily had wanted to reach out-to send her an owl to ask her what dress she should wear to the Christmas Ball, send her some Pumpkin Pasties because she knew how much her sister loved the taste of the orange gourd, or even just Floo Powder her to talk after a long day. But everything Lily wanted to do with her sister was somehow connected with the world that her sister despised so much, so she had given up.

However, that didn't mean she couldn't still _try_ to be nice. Tonight, at her dinner, she resolved herself to the fact that she would be as courteous as the Queen of England. She had the mindset that if she didn't screw up, her sister would have nothing to hate for her. Make this night good for Tuney, and maybe they could be on the path to being sisters once again.

That meant she had to look prim and proper- and not at all like someone who had received an O in Transfiguration at Hogwarts. So that was why, with a sigh, she headed into the bathroom she shared with Petunia whenever they were home together.

On the counter lay a curling iron. She touched the edge of the metal gingerly, and she could feel it was ready for her to go.

Slowly but surely, she transformed her pin-straight hair into a soft layer of waves. She smiled as she looked at them-something she had not done much this summer. She headed back into her room and put on a sherbet-colored sundress that Melanie had given her this Christmas. Lily remembered how Melanie had given her a conspirational wink and said that she should wear it for a certain Chaser with messy black hair and caramel eyes, and how she had rolled her eyes. She now thought with a melancholic sigh how now, that actually sounded like a dream to her. Well, it was too late now.

Just as she finished brushing out the last flyaways out of her face, she heard the doorbell ring, and the unmistakable voice of Vernon Dursley echoed up the foyer to her room near the landing. She could feel a sigh escape her. It was going to be a rough night.

After some boring parlor talk where Vernon droned on and on about how his boss had complimented his good memory of coffee orders, they headed into the dining room. Her parents were muttering among themselves, something that tended only to happen when Vernon was over. However, they kept quiet in front of Tuney. She knew how they felt badly how Lily had been accepted into Hogwarts and Petunia not-and they knew deep down how unwanted and not special that had made Petunia feel. They had resolved that they would let her marry Vernon, because it was the least she deserved after what had happened-even if Vernon might not have been the first choice for their daughter.

Lily stayed quiet as she ate her beet salad, letting the couple drawl on all about their lives. Then, as she was staring out of the window, waiting for the pot roast to be brought to the table, the conversation came to her.

"So, Lily, I hear that you're attending a very select boarding school. The O'Reilly Correctional Facility for Woman, am I correct?" On the outside, Vernon looked polite, but she could hear the faint smirk in his voice. Lily fumed on the inside.

"Well…yes, I am." She gave her parents a look. They shrugged helplessly. When Petunia had complained that she didn't want Vernon knowing that Lily could do magic, to placate her, their parents said she could make up a boarding school to be Lily's cover. Her sister had apparently gone quite overboard on that, and now it looked like Lily was a juvenile delinquent. Lily gave her sister a glare, and then cleared her throat.

"Sounds like a very interesting school. I'm sure you're not a complete lost cause-though I could tell as soon as I walked in that there was a rebellious spirit in you, Lily. Sadly, everyone can not be like my snookums." Vernon gave Petunia a light kiss on the mouth, and Lily nearly gagged at the fat rolls hanging on Vernon's neck when he leaned in. Petunia didn't seem to notice though. She kissed him right back. Lily felt sick.

"Shall I go get the roast?" her mother said, her voice unnaturally shrill, with a slight edge to it.

"I'll come with you, Jane!" Vernon boomed as he got from the chair, bustling after her mother to the kitchen. The legs creaked dangerously as he jumped up. "You should come too, Walter. I know excellent tips on how to make a splendid roast!" Then he proceeded to explain on about all his tips, meanwhile with his voice holding an air of someone who was telling a very important, well-guarded secret.

As soon as they were out of the room, Petunia screeched at her sister, "Couldn't you be a little more friendly to Vernon? You're so rude, Lily!"

Lily gave her sister a shocked glare, then said with anger, "Me?! You're the rude one, saying that I'm in a _correctional facility!_"

Petunia gave her a haughty look. "It's nearly true. That's where you should be going anyway. You're a danger to society, you are…"

Lily pushed back her chair. "Oh, I am? At least I'm not a fire hazard! You're pig of a boyfriend probably is one!"

Petunia stood up too. "Lily Evans! You take that back right now! Why, you're just as much as of a brat as you were seven years ago!"

Lily's mouth dropped open. "Me?! You're the brat! No, even worse, you're jealous! You always have been!"

Petunia's face went bright red. "Me-e? Jea-a-alous? No way!" Yet her voice cracked.

Lily gave her sister a triumphant glare. "See you are! After all this time, you Petunia Evans are jealous!" Lily knew she should stop, but she was tired of her sister's constant blaming of her that lay underneath every conversation they had. It was not her fault Petunia had not been picked to go to Hogwarts.

Just then, she saw her family standing there, mouths open in utter shock at the fury on each girl's face. A second later, Vernon strolled in, still prattling on. "-and then our company was saved by me, Vernon Dursley! They did put a restraining on me, which I think is mighty ungrateful after everything I did for them- Oy, what's this here? Has Lily attacked my precious flower? I should recommend you to this excellent summer camp they have in London-really takes the bite out of criminals-though you may have to sign a warranty-sometimes the taser is a little too strong, but hey, you don't see any troublemakers coming out of there, do you? Ha ha!" Vernon guffawed at his own joke, and then realized no one was laughing.

"Please sit down girls-I'm sure it was a mutual misunderstanding…" Mrs. Evan's voice was clipped, and everyone immediately sat down, even Vernon.

They were about midway through the course, with Lily starting on her mashed potatoes (Vernon was on his second helping.) Suddenly, a thunk echoed against the large window of the dining room. Everyone looked up, even Lily, who had been transfixed by her pool of gravy. Petunia shot Lily a look as if this was all her fault, and she had somehow planned this to ruin the dinner, but Lily shrugged. Whatever it was, it wasn't her fault. Even if it did sound like something Lily had heard everyday against the panes of her dorm room. But…it couldn't be. There was no way.

They had just resumed normal conversation when there was another thud. This time Vernon got up. "Look's like there's something wrong with your windowpanes," he boomed. "Frequently a problem with old, run-down houses like these. My new place is nothing like this. Fresh new windowpanes, hand-blown glass. You can't get better in all of England…all of Europe, maybe…"

Then the thump came again, louder than ever before, and Vernon started to bustle over to the window. The portly young man started to unfasten the window. Then, she saw the shape bang against the window again. Suddenly, what the thing was dawned on her. She called out as loud and fast as she could, "Wait! Don't open it!" But Vernon didn't listen-the shutters flew out, and Vernon was mowed over and instantly knocked out as a tall, strong frame on a broomstick flew into her dining room. Petunia was flying over to Vernon, calling out hysterically and trying to rouse her now unconscious fiancé while her parents looked on in dumbfounded shock, but she had eyes only for the handsome boy with the messy hair and caramel eyes who gave her a lopsided grin, and said with a light tone,

"Sorry, couldn't find the door!"

_Thanks for reading y'all. Please check back next time! There will be more Jily cuteness to follow soon! :)_


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